Fiat
Active member
Thanks for the info. Please provide the link to Steve's video.
iShoot Lens Collar for Nikon Z 180-600
- Thread starter RockvilleBob
- Start date
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Hey Ken. Thanks for the information about a loose collar. Perhaps it is a function of the Gimbal. The iShoot collar for the 180-600 works well on my Gimbal, no issues with rotation or moving the lens forward and backward for balance. I just looked at Steve's video on balancing a gimbal after reading your post but I could not find the loose collar/gimbal video and would appreciate a link. Perhaps it is just to change from landscape to portrait orientation - a good idea. I will plan to loosen the collar on gimbal mounted lenses, something I have not done in the past.
I do not plan to use my made in China Nikon 180-600 on my Made in the USA gimbal, However, I do plan to use my made in China Nikon 800 6.3 PF lens with my made in the USA Hejnar replacement foot on a gimbal and will loosen the collar the next time I mount the lens on my made in the USA gimbal.
andrewluke
Member
items made in USA are not always better but are always well overpriced for what you get, in my opinion 
It is more than just changing from landscape to portrait that can be done with the iShoot. But you can not leave the collar loose for free and smooth orientation / leveling as you track birds etc.. Here is one and @Steve may suggest others. I have not used my gimbal in some time but this technique worked on D850 and D6 on 600 f/4E and D500 and Sigma 150-600 sport
Long Lens Tripod Technique - Backcountry Gallery
It can be a real source of frustration. You get this fancy new telephoto lens, hang it off the front of your camera and are more than a little disappointed with the not-so-sharp results. So, you do a little digging and discover that maybe a tripod is what you need to sharpen up those photos. […]
![backcountrygallery.com](https://backcountrygallery.com/long-lens-tripod-technique/\"/apple-touch-icon.png\"){kind=icon}
backcountrygallery.com
ajrmd
Well-known member
Your Western philosophy embraces individualism and as an extension of that, the notion of intellectual property. China does not recognize nor embrace that construct. What is more disturbing from a human perspective is the lack of personal freedoms including employing slave labor, lack of personal protections and rights, and the impact of environmental practices which are occurring in China. While I grant you that intellectual property is one component to be concerned with, the other antithetical behaviors are more challenging and pressing.
ajrmd
Well-known member
What is the consensus for an aftermarket AS plate, preferably with a QD connect. As much as I like Chris Hejnar's stuff, it relies on a single 1/4" screw. Are there AS plates with two screws (1/4", 3/8") and a QD that folks recommend?
Kirk has one for $50, though the QD is at one end and the balance point on the 180-600 is near the middle of the foot.
Kirk has one for $50, though the QD is at one end and the balance point on the 180-600 is near the middle of the foot.
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I actually like the Kirk design as I'd rather the camera and lens combo hang with the lens pointed down than horizontally with the lens pointing forward. IOW, when moving through brush I'd prefer not to have the lens front element pointing forward where twigs and the like can poke inside the lens hood.
The Kirk plate allows you to optionally mount the end stop on either end so it's easy to have the steel lined QD socket back near the camera so the lens plus camera combo is front heavy and the lens hangs vertically. It uses two 1/4 x 20 machine screws so you'd need a 1/4 to 3/8 adapter sleeve to use it with Nikon's 180-600mm lens but that's very easy to do.
I received my KES 180-600 replacement collar last week. I've only had a chance for one outing with it. Solid construction. One of several KES replacement products I own. I'll bypass the "spy vs spy" discussion.
Interesting, what kind of discussion can be triggered just by the fact that somebody bought a Chines product and seems to be happy with it .
IMHO the truth is somewhere in the middle - as almost always. It all depends on what you want to use the product for and how you prefer to use it.
Of course I have a Wimberley foot on my 500 and yes, the lens with the foot was living on a Gimbal for years.
But at the same time the iSoot collar I used to have for my 300PF and 70-200 f4 did a great job, when it came to tripod work.
So why not trying the one for the Z 180-600 ? The one for my smaller F-Mount lenses acutally worked better in terms of changing format while on a tripod than the orginal collar and I am lookng forward to see how it goes with the 180-600 collar(s).
If people try out things and share their experience with others it's kind of natural that these exeperiences willl be different - just as the expectations.
BTW: There's something that was reported to me as a Chinese saying (can't prove it though) - interestingly by a Japanese person I met during a project som years ago:
"A good copy honors the original"
.IMHO the truth is somewhere in the middle - as almost always. It all depends on what you want to use the product for and how you prefer to use it.
Of course I have a Wimberley foot on my 500 and yes, the lens with the foot was living on a Gimbal for years.
But at the same time the iSoot collar I used to have for my 300PF and 70-200 f4 did a great job, when it came to tripod work.
So why not trying the one for the Z 180-600 ? The one for my smaller F-Mount lenses acutally worked better in terms of changing format while on a tripod than the orginal collar and I am lookng forward to see how it goes with the 180-600 collar(s).
If people try out things and share their experience with others it's kind of natural that these exeperiences willl be different - just as the expectations.
BTW: There's something that was reported to me as a Chinese saying (can't prove it though) - interestingly by a Japanese person I met during a project som years ago:
"A good copy honors the original"
Fiat
Active member
A good point....
"A good copy honors the original"